Trelleborg’s engineered products operation has been awarded the contract to supply gaskets and seals in the construction of the new Marieholmstunneln – a road tunnel in Göteborg, Sweden, which will use immersed and cut-and-cover techniques.

At nearly 500 meters long and 20 meters deep, the tunnel will run under the Göta Älv River. Trelleborg was specified by the design and build joint venture, consisting civil engineers, Züblin Scandinavia AB and dredging and marine experts, Boskalis B.V, due to successful collaboration with Trelleborg previously and the proven high stability, flexibility and low aging behavior of the company’s tunnel seal.

Andre de Graaf, Sales Manager Infrastructure for Trelleborg’s engineered products operation, says: “Our Gina and Omega seals will be used between the sectional elements of the immersed tunnel and waterstops at the construction joints, to prevent water ingress due to external water pressure. The seals provide the highest level of sealing performance while also transferring any hydrostatic loads and movements between the tunnel ends due to soil settlement, creep of concrete, temperature effects.”

The tunnel is being constructed for Trafikverket, the Swedish traffic authority and aims to improve traffic congestion in Göteborg by bypassing the motorway tunnel for the E6, E45 and E20 routes.

Carsten Bahl, Technical Manager at Züblin Scandinavia AB, says: “The outer concrete structure of the tunnel is 30 meters wide and ten meters high, so we needed a complete sealing system which could cater to these requirements at a depth of 20 meters. We knew that Trelleborg’s product offered excellent characteristics and the company’s accumulated expert knowledge has provided valuable support in the project so far.”

The road tunnel will have three lanes in each direction and will be constructed with two ‘tubes’ for traffic in and out of the tunnel, and a separate service tunnel that will be accessible from both ways.

Construction began in the first half of 2016 and is due for completion in October 2020.